In The End
by reasons for insanity
Summary: "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." Loki was not the first to use those words. Rating may go up.


**AN:** Hello everyone, here I am, creeping my way into the Avengers fandom. Been reading fics for awhile, and there are so many amazingly well written stories here that I was more than a little intimidated. Nevertheless, this idea wouldn't leave me alone and so here we are. Any mistakes you come across are mine. It should be noted I haven't read any comics - my character interpretations are largely based on the MCU, with a little mythology thrown in. I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Not even the Avengers DVD.

* * *

_Set your bait, set your trap.  
Take a seat and watch me snap._

_I'll shake the ground that you stand on,_  
_I'll still be here when you're long gone._  
_This world's mine you can't have it,_  
_It's my turn to burn and wreak havoc._

_- _"Taking You Down", Egypt Central

* * *

Loki knew a great many things, but he was always willing to learn more.

Having realized from a young age that his intellect would be would be a far greater advantage to him than his strength (or lack thereof) would ever be, he had spent endless hours in the palace's extensive library. It was during this time that he had first heard about the Tesseract; a source of unlimited power that had been hidden away on Midgard by the Allfather long ago, and beyond that - well, there wasn't much more information on it to be found. That was something that had always intrigued Loki, the mysteries surrounding this powerful relic, and that was why he now found himself on earth, hundreds of feet underground in what he supposed the humans thought of as a 'secret' base.

If he were to be honest with himself (something rather difficult to do for the God of Lies), Loki couldn't bring himself to hate his mother and brother - at least, not in the same way he now felt towards the Allfather. Yes, it was true that Frigga was as much to blame for keeping his true heritage a secret as Odin, but it had not been her idea and she had not wanted to keep it from him in the first place. As for Thor, it was true as well that Loki had long been cast in his brother's shadow, probably even before he was old enough to realize it. But that was not entirely his brother's doing either, and in the brief time they were reunited - however violently - on Asgard it was easy to recognize that Thor's brief stay on Midgard had done him more good than Loki had ever thought possible. Ultimately, his feelings of anger all channeled back directly to the King, one way or another.

And yes, Loki had been angry when he had gone to Jotunheim to set his latest plan in motion. Admittedly, he had been looking forward to the chaos he knew would follow, but any excitement he may have found in the matters had only been secondary to his commitment towards restoring some sense of normalcy to his home and family.

He had been angry when he refused his brother's return to Asgard, firmly believing it was for the best, until the damage caused had been undone. One way or another.

He had been angry when he slew his real father, in a last-attempt effort to show his worthiness to a King he was not even sure he still respected.

He had been angry when he tried to destroy his home planet, to prove to himself and the people of Asgard that, monster though he may truly be, his allegiances lay with the Realm Eternal.

He had been angry when he fought his brother on the Bifrost, taunting Thor into attacking him with threats towards his latest beloved, and distracting him from the destruction being wrought upon Jotunheim.

And he had been incredibly, incredibly angry when he had loosened his grip on Gungnir and let himself fall into the abyss after hearing Odin's final words to him.

Of course, other emotions may have been present during all of those events; confusion, betrayal, heartbreak...but it was simpler to focus on the anger. The overwhelming resentment he held towards the one he once called father.

Thor, fool that he was, believed he had fallen to his death. Loki was not known as a master of magic because of his simple battle tricks and pranks, did Thor know nothing of his younger brother's abilities? Truthfully, likely not. Until very recently, he would have long been preoccupied with other things, and other people. Loki wondered fleetingly if Odin thought he was dead as well, or if he knew better.

It mattered little.

Well aware that if he were to return to Asgard anytime soon his welcoming would be less than...welcoming, Loki had no intentions to do so. He would lay low for a few centuries, keeping himself well out of Heimdall's view, causing mayhem here and there throughout the realms while always keeping one step ahead of any who would be sent to catch the perpetrator. Eventually, he would return home to see how the disgraced and long-thought-dead second prince of Asgard would be received. Hel, maybe he would even bring the Tesseract with him; it would make for an awfully entertaining return.

Of course, if for some reason Thor ascended to the throne in that time, he could return earlier. Loki knew his brother well, and for all of his shortcomings, loyalty was not among them. It seemed that forgiveness had recently been added to his repertoire as well. Perhaps Loki would even use some less-than-honourable methods to try to help his brother attain Kingship earlier than was now intended. A little ironic maybe, considering what he had previously done to _delay _his brother's coronation, but things had changed immensely since then. And besides, Odin would need to 'retire' sooner or later, yes?

Voices approaching from down the hallway caused Loki's thoughts to redirect to the current situation. Earlier, he had listened to the mortals' conversations, and a scientist was being called in to attempt to help control the energy source. He could have laughed - if the Allfather himself had hidden the relic away, rather than use it for some purpose, what hope did the humans have of controlling the thing? Still, he had nothing if not time to waste, and so kept himself undetected in order to stick around and see what would unfold.

The scientist seemed unsure about the entire proceeding, but Loki was not going to be denied his entertainment. With barely a twitch of his fingers, he sent a small wave of magic towards the man. Complete mind control was something he had never experimented with much, but the ability to plant ideas in one's mind had proven useful on many past occasions. This time would be no different.

"Well, I guess that's worth a look." Loki spoke quietly, despite knowing he would not be heard. His smile widened as the man repeated his words.

The following few hours proved extremely disappointing in terms of amusement. Loki had almost been driven by boredom to the point of opening the case holding the Tesseract himself when finally the man seemingly in charge - Director Fury, Loki had heard some call him - finally did so. The humans gathered around to stare at it with a sense of hushed awe. From his vantage point in the metal rafters Loki could see it as well, but he had to admit it seemed a little anticlimactic. A small, blue cube. This was unlimited power? He knew better than most that looks could be deceiving, but still...

He had little time to dwell on it though, because almost as soon as the case had been opened, the magic in the air had increased considerably, and condensed. Loki doubted the humans had even noticed, but to him it was almost visible. He supposed he should have anticipated something unexpected to happen as a result, but when a voice that was not his own spoke to him from inside his own head, he still started a little.

"Your curiosity is obvious, Asgardian Prince. Come, speak with us, and He shall tell you all you wish to know." The voice was polite if not demanding, but held an undertone of something darker.

Loki knew the workings of telepathy, but spoke out loud anyway, after taking a moment to compose himself. "I would know of whom I speak with, before I go anywhere." He wasn't afraid, confident in his abilities and knowing he was capable of dealing with almost anyone in the Nine Realms. Those few who still posed a challenge had always been his own allies in battle, and the voice definitely did not belong to anyone of Asgard.

There was a small chuckle, not entirely pleasant. "One who speaks on behalf of another. He would share ancient knowledge with you, knowledge not even Odin-Allfather possesses. Let us speak face to face, and you shall come to understand."

Well, that was certainly intriguing. "Why impart this knowledge to me and not the King himself?"

"Only those who are worthy of learning the true workings of the Tesseract are gifted with the opportunity to do so."

Loki Laufeyson, Silvertongue, Liesmith, the Jotun runt, worthy of something the Allfather himself was not? Another opportunity like this would not come along soon. "And where is it that I must go?"

The voice did not reply, but Loki felt the slight pulling at his magic, the other force guiding him to where he needed to be. He glanced down at the cube one more time, the blue glow reflecting off the mortals' faces almost hit a little too close to home for him. It strengthened his resolve to finally have something Odin could not. "Very well. I shall meet with you."

After all, Loki knew a great many things, but he was always willing to learn more.

* * *

**AN: **I know, not much action, a whole lot of setup. Largely necessary, though I apologize if it's a slow start. Loki is by far the most complex character I have ever tackled, and I tried to get his current frame of mind and motivations across (he and I don't necessarily agree on our feelings towards some of the other characters). Anyway, let me know what you thought if you're so inclined, and thank you for reading!


End file.
